Every one of us is an individual, with probably unique opinions, some of which are probably bound to be offensive to at least someone else. I don't think I would agree 100 % with anyone on OLO, but there have probably been occasions when I have agreed with each contributor, even Poirot of fond memory.

As an ex-Marxist, that's enough for me to believe that an all-conforming socialism, or anarchism, is not only impossible but a direct slide into fascism. It's no coincidence that freedom of expression is/was, as a matter of course, totally forbidden under fascism.

So, according to my simple-minded logic, if there lack of free speech is characteristic of fascism, then complete freedom of speech is a characteristic of full, noisy, messy democracy. I'm sure AJ would pick holes in that comparison, ad nauseam, but that's my opinion. Please feel free to rip into it, I won't get offended :)

And even if I did, so what ? By definition, any opinion may be offensive to at least someone. So a corollary of the freedom of speech, to criticise, say, my opinions, is my obligation to either defend my opinions robustly or suck it up.

Joe

We currently have Sonia Kruger and Bernard Gaynor before the Anti Discrimination Board for ideas they expressed in the Media. Facing huge fines for speaking their concerns. Ideas also held by millions of Australia, but ideas that some want silenced. We are loosing the right to express our thoughts, and if we do say it we face huge fines. It is becoming equivalent to North Korea or other totalitarian states.

Nowadays it's fairly standard to find that when something
problematic happens and people complain about it, there's
almost always one person who says, "but what about
free speech?"

Freedom of speech is, of course, the phrase used to
describe the fact that in most countries people are free
to say whatever they want. And that's fine. Nobody is
disagreeing on that one. But sometimes however, free
speech can shift into the dangerous territory of hate speech.

Free speech as stated means you can say whatever you want -
hate speech is when people say things that are outrightly
harmful, to a particular group of people - eg. racism,
sexism, homophobic, et cetera. A lot of people would
argue that because we all have free speech we should be
allowed to listen to people who say these things.
In principal yes, we should always consider different
opinions and different world views.

However free speech works both ways. If your free speech
becomes hate speech then some of us can use our right to
free speech to complain and critique.

cont'd.

Foxy,
Freedom of Speech allows us to speak ill of others. It happens all the time here on this Forum. Conflict and criticism is welcome in a free society. We can be offended and defend our position but there is no silencing of the offender. However since Islam is rising in Australia we are not allowed to debate its conflict with our culture.

Which is the discordant conflation here.
1. chalk and cheese,
2. hammer and nail
3. manus and anzac

Dear Josephus,

It would have been terrible indeed if we needed a right in order to express our thoughts. In Australia however, we always had and still have the freedom to express our thoughts - all that may have changed is that we are asked to not express certain thoughts in public because they are likely to hurt some of our listeners. Your freedom to express your thoughts in private, on OLO or from the pulpit are not affected and I fully pray that they never will, so where is the need to express them specifically over the media? Who needs or listens to that media anyway?

Hinduism's first preliminary spiritual principle, is 'ahimsa' - non-violence.
Second to it comes 'satya' - truthfullness.
Later come others: non-stealing, non-possessiveness, containing-sexual-energy, cleanliness, contentment, austerity, self-study and surrender-to-God.

Whenever the first and second principles conflict, the first prevails: one must not tell the truth if this is going to hurt others - better stay silent, then perhaps look for a way to tell the truth later in a situation where it will not hurt.

Is Christianity different?

You could be right, but better be wise!